Spain Archives

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(New page: Genealogically speaking Spanish archives can be divided into four separate categories.<br> * Civil archives which are run one of the many levels of civil government * Church archives - ty...)

* Civil archives which are run one of the many levels of civil government

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Genealogically speaking Spanish archives can be divided into four separate categories.<br>

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* Church archives - typically this relates to Catholic Church archives.

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* Private archives which can be stand alone archives, or part of a civil or church archive.

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* University archives - contain a wide variety of records.

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==== Civil Archives<br> ====

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*Civil archives which are run one of the many levels of civil government

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*Church archives - typically this relates to Catholic Church archives.

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*Private archives which can be stand alone archives, or part of a civil or church archive.

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*University archives - contain a wide variety of records.

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Civil archives include archives from the National level all the way down to the civil registration office. The best place to find an archive and to access an inventory (not always complete or thorough) is through the Ministerio de Cultura's site at http://www.mcu.es/archivos/index.html Search the Censo-guia for the archives you are interested in finding. This site also links to all the major archives through out the country, such as:<br>

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==== Civil Archives ====

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* Archivo General de Indias

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Civil archives include archives from the National level all the way down to the civil registration office. The best place to find an archive and to access an inventory (not always complete or thorough) is through the Ministerio de Cultura's site at:

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* Archivo General de Simancas

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* Archivo Histórico Nacional

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* Archivo de la Real Chancellería de Valladolid

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==== Provincial Archives<br> ====

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*http://www.mcu.es/archivos/ Search the [http://censoarchivos.mcu.es/CensoGuia/portada.htm Censo-guia de archivos] for the archives you are interested in finding. This site also links to all the major archives through out the country, such as:

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Provincial archives are very important in family history research. The most important records in the provincial archives are the notarial records or Protocolos. These records include: wills, land and property sales, death inventories, marriage contracts, and many other types. The best portal for these archives is:<br>http://www.mcu.es/archivos/index.html<br>The site provides hours, services, addresses, and inventories for each provincial archive.

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*Archivo General de Indias

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*Archivo General de Simancas

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*Archivo Histórico Nacional

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*Archivo de la Real Chancellería de Valladolid

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* Archivo General de Indias

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==== Provincial Archives ====

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* Archivo General de Simancas

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* Archivo Histórico Nacional

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* Archivo de la Real Chancellería de Valladolid

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==== Municipal and Juzgado de la Paz Archives<br> ====

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Provincial archives are very important in family history research. The most important records in the provincial archives are the notarial records or Protocolos. These records include: wills, land and property sales, death inventories, marriage contracts, and many other types. The best portal for these archives is:<br>http://www.mcu.es/archivos/index.html<br>The site provides hours, services, addresses, and inventories for each provincial archive.

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These archives are sometimes together, but when they are separated you will find civil registration records in the Juzgado de la Paz archives. Municipal archives contain local census, tax, military draft records, and other records full of genealogical value. Like the provincial archives you can find additional information in the Ministerio de Cultura's website (listed above).

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*Archivo General de Indias

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*Archivo General de Simancas

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*Archivo Histórico Nacional

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*Archivo de la Real Chancellería de Valladolid

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==== Church Archives (Catholic Church)<br> ====

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'''Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:'''<br>

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The Catholic Church has two main archives that are invaluable to anyone doing family history research in Spain.<br>

Parish archives maintain the parish books for their own parish. Most of the surviving parish records in Spain have been centralized to the Diocesan Archive (see below), however, records that are not more than 100 years old and those that were never sent to the Diocesan archive are kept/stored in the Parish archive. The parish records most common and most relevant to family history: baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths/burials.

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These archives are sometimes together, but when they are separated you will find civil registration records in the Juzgado de la Paz archives. Municipal archives contain local census, tax, military draft records, and other records full of genealogical value. Like the provincial archives you can find additional information in the Ministerio de Cultura's website (listed above).

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==== <br>Diocesan Archives<br> ====

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==== Church Archives (Catholic Church) ====

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Each dioceses has an archive where they have centralized the parish records within its boundaries. The archives usually have all the parish records that are older than 100 years old, plus any diocesan records. Diocesan records in Spain include: marriage dispensations, ecclesiastic personnel records, judicial materials, pastoral visits and confirmations.<br>Catholic Church guides and directories are great sources for learning more about church archives. Much of this can be done through the Ministerio de Cultura's website, but there are two other websites that are great as well.

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The Catholic Church has two main archives that are invaluable to anyone doing family history research in Spain. An excellent guide to the Catholic Church Archives in Spain is available online. [http://www.mcu.es/archivos/docs/ArchivosIglesia.pdf ''Guía de los Archivos de la Iglesia en España''] compiled by the Archivo Diocesano de Barcelona for the Asociación de Archiveros de la Iglesia en España (Association of Archivists of the Church in Spain) with the collaboration of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura, y Deporte (Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports).

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* http://www.conferenciaepiscopal.es/diocesis/

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==== Parish Archives<br> ====

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* http://punsola.club.fr/index.htm?menu=dioceses

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Parish archives maintain the parish books for their own parish. Most of the surviving parish records in Spain have been centralized to the Diocesan Archive (see below), however, records that are not more than 100 years old and those that were never sent to the Diocesan archive are kept/stored in the Parish archive. The parish records most common and most relevant to family history: baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths/burials.

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==== <br>Diocesan Archives<br> ====

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Each dioceses has an archive where they have centralized the parish records within its boundaries. The archives usually have all the parish records that are older than 100 years old, plus any diocesan records. Diocesan records in Spain include: marriage dispensations, ecclesiastic personnel records, judicial materials, pastoral visits and confirmations.

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Catholic Church guides and directories are great sources for learning more about church archives. Much of this can be done through the Ministerio de Cultura's website, but there are two other websites that are great as well.

Contents

Civil Archives

Civil archives include archives from the National level all the way down to the civil registration office. The best place to find an archive and to access an inventory (not always complete or thorough) is through the Ministerio de Cultura's site at:

Provincial Archives

Provincial archives are very important in family history research. The most important records in the provincial archives are the notarial records or Protocolos. These records include: wills, land and property sales, death inventories, marriage contracts, and many other types. The best portal for these archives is:http://www.mcu.es/archivos/index.htmlThe site provides hours, services, addresses, and inventories for each provincial archive.

Municipal and Juzgado de la Paz Archives

These archives are sometimes together, but when they are separated you will find civil registration records in the Juzgado de la Paz archives. Municipal archives contain local census, tax, military draft records, and other records full of genealogical value. Like the provincial archives you can find additional information in the Ministerio de Cultura's website (listed above).

Church Archives (Catholic Church)

The Catholic Church has two main archives that are invaluable to anyone doing family history research in Spain. An excellent guide to the Catholic Church Archives in Spain is available online. Guía de los Archivos de la Iglesia en España compiled by the Archivo Diocesano de Barcelona for the Asociación de Archiveros de la Iglesia en España (Association of Archivists of the Church in Spain) with the collaboration of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura, y Deporte (Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports).

Parish Archives

Parish archives maintain the parish books for their own parish. Most of the surviving parish records in Spain have been centralized to the Diocesan Archive (see below), however, records that are not more than 100 years old and those that were never sent to the Diocesan archive are kept/stored in the Parish archive. The parish records most common and most relevant to family history: baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths/burials.

Diocesan Archives

Each dioceses has an archive where they have centralized the parish records within its boundaries. The archives usually have all the parish records that are older than 100 years old, plus any diocesan records. Diocesan records in Spain include: marriage dispensations, ecclesiastic personnel records, judicial materials, pastoral visits and confirmations.

Catholic Church guides and directories are great sources for learning more about church archives. Much of this can be done through the Ministerio de Cultura's website, but there are two other websites that are great as well.